The Many Worlds of Arrow
by elainefr
Summary: A mysterious woman comes in need of Oliver's help.


"Why are you here? Why have you been helping us? What is it that you want?" his eyes pierced hers trying to figure out what was going on behind the masked hooded figure.

She looked at him with the same unshakeable honesty that she'd had since meeting up with them, then, almost regretfully her eyes strayed to the man behind him briefly before returning to the ones that asked the question. She held her lips in a firm line.

"We just want answers," the man in back stated.

"I will talk to you…privately," she spoke only to the man before her.

Something about her, he thought. He signaled for his friend to give them a moment. His friend looked to them both, and then moved away.

"Okay, we're alone. Now talk."

"I'm not from here."

"So you lied ab-"

"No, I have never lied to- to either of you." She allowed an ever so slight drop in her shoulders before continuing. "I meant I am not from this world." She watched how easily he seemed to absorb this information, "In my Starling, I was an operative just like I said. I protected the innocent and I worked with you- er, my earth's version of you and your partner…you guys were better than brothers. It was beautiful to behold that kind of brotherhood. It was- then he got involved with someone. They were in love but you- the other you didn't approve. It strained your relationship."

The woman grew quiet and reflective. Oliver couldn't imagine any version of himself being such a judgmental prude, especially given some of the choices that he had made. The whole Laurel/Sarah situation would have shut him up- at least in this reality it would.

"He was married…you liked his wife- everyone did. Thing is, no one planned on it happening the way that it did, but there is no denying that it did happen. He never wanted to hurt his family- he loved you guys- them…" she squeezed her eyes tightly remembering. "I wish that he would have had more time to- to-," she sniffed and straightened to a soldier's stance, "he never got the chance to make things right."

Oliver looked at the woman and finally got a bit of clarity.

"The woman that you're talking about- it's you isn't it? You had the affair with Diggle."

Her slightly lowering of her lashes served as confirmation.

"So what are you hoping to accomplish here?"

"Not what you think. I know that he is not my- the Diggle from my world. I was hoping that you could help me to get back to my world. There was an explosion that killed Diggle and got me here- wherever here is. He died saving my life."

 _Damn! Why can't stuff be simple anymore?_

"Who are you?" Oliver wanted a name even if he could only see her beautiful brown eyes.

"You may call me Night Time." As she said this she pulled the hood back to reveal her face to Oliver completely.

 _You!..._

"Night Time," Oliver echoed trying to reconcile the familiar face to the stranger before him.

"If you could just- help me to find a way home…" she looked to where Diggle still stood off in the distance. "There is no place in this world for me."

Oliver looked at the woman and understood her words, but seeing her true face and hearing her real voice unencumbered by the voice immodulator that she'd had attached to her hood was more than a little unsettling for him. There was a time, brief as it was, that Oliver held in a most treasured spot of his heart. During this time he had known a woman that he held in the highest regard. She was beautiful and fierce; she held her own in any battle and was uncompromising in those that she believed in…that last, as lovely as it was to behold, was what would lead to her death. The woman before him was another world's version and fates cruel way of shoving the death of another loved one in his face. Oliver was more than a little intrigued.

"I'll do what I can." Oliver stayed looking at her a while longer.

"What?" she was unsure why he seemed to look at her…like that?

"…nothing." He signaled for Diggle to rejoin them.

"What's going on?" Diggle asked when he was near Oliver and out of the woman's earshot.

"We're going back to headquarters."

"She's not going with us?" Diggle asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Oliver looked past Diggle to where the rehooded woman had come up behind them, "she's- we have to help her."

"Help her? We don't even know her." Diggle looked back at her and then back at Oliver, "or do you?"

"It's… complicated."

"Compli-" Diggle looked from Oliver to the woman. Something was definitely going on there and he couldn't figure out what it was. He would have to talk to Oliver alone, then he would find out what was going on.

The trio moved quietly through the darkness back towards The Arrow's lair.


End file.
